The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1887-05-05
CHURCH MUSIl;.

be en- the gift OF inferior deltieS, music,
they claim, was the direct gift of
himself. The theology of the
belief might be farther from the truth.
Music is high born. The poetic author
of the Oldest book of the Old Testa-
ment speaks of time near the begin
ming of creation when the morning
stars sang together"
A son of Adah. the beautiful, in the
early Cainitic civilization. was "the
father of such as handle the harp and
the organ"
The great lawgiver of Israel gave
also to the world song that will never
die. All of the ancients knew some
thing of music and musical instru-
ments.
The great theologian of the New
Testament may not have been a
musician, but he was wise enough to
link his theology with ''psalms, hymns,
and spiritual songs" Song is ever as
sociated with valor, patriotism. religion,
and domestic life. No evil bird sings.
Heaven is represented as full of music,
while there is no account of even the
Emusic of revelry in hell. Music is.
therefore at home in the Church. The
birth of the Messiah was announced by
q heavenly choir. Still it is true that
music as fine art is one of the young
est of the arts. Modern music is
part of modern civilization, 1t sue
ceeded painting, as painting has sue
ceeded architecture. Raphael was dead
nine'years before Palestrina, the father
of modern melody, was born. When
Mozart died, the great mines of music
as fine art had been explored.
Italy had been the home of great
music, but when political degradation
and religious corruption came in. the
genious of sacred music. in the first
half of the Eighteenth Century, took
up her abode in Germany. The great
composers are German. Unfortunate
ly the best music, artistlcally consider
ed, heard to-day in America is IN the
German concert-room. The German
music is sober, dignified, beautiful,
philosophical. and emotional. 1t unites
heart and intellect in q truthful way.
i uc 1GdlldA SCuOOl 10 NOluPUuOio, oAS
French frivolous, in comparison with
the German. The British can scarcely
be said to have school.
An English writer facetiously gives
us a graphic picture of the relative
musical tastes of European countries; a
sort of panoramic procession OF ma
tions. First comes Germany, with a
fine band of singers led by large
band of players on many musical in
struments; then France, 'fresh from
the woods" with her cornemuse; Italy.
with her ''tuneful and fascinating goat
skin and pipe; Spain, with her man.
dolin; Scotland, with her bag-pipe; Ire
land and Wales. with "harps of we'll
known form and proportion; Russia,
with good song and a fine horn; then,
bringing up the rear, England--"'a
policeman commanding an organ
grinder to move on.
The Reformed churches of Great
Britain and America. whose music
have in mind, have thus had no great
musical heritage. Their ancestors were
ballad singers.
The Reformed, as distinguished from
the Medieval, sharply, if not with a
touch of vandalism, separated aoorship
and fine art. Fine art, howev ideal
lied, was still, in the philosophy of the
theologian, a material beauty. Its
pleasure was sensuous, rather than
spiritual. Harmony, art, must be sub
ordinated to dogmatic truth. The
philosophy of the theologian can.
not be questioned; but his application
of that philosophy to religious worship
| was either too narrow or too sweeping.
The worship of art is not, of course.
the worship of God; nor is the artistic
effect necessarily spiritual; but music
without art is not music. Nor can art
be too fine to be used as means to a
higher end. Art in architecture is
perfectly consistent with utility and
comfort. So may it be with holiness,
or spiritual emotion, in worship.
The ordinary music in our American
Reformed churches lis of two classes.
that which embodies and expresses re-
ligious feeling in direct worship, as
hyms and chants and that which, sung
by choir or chorus, excites religious
emotion in the hearer, as anthems and
oratorios, This distinction should be
remembered when we discuss the ques-
ton of art in church music.
Art does not mean difficult music.
Scientifically it may be SO difficult as to
test the skill of the singers, and yet be
not very artistic. The art may be in
the singer rather than in the music.
It may be in the music and not in the
singer. If in both the very best ar.
tistic effect may be produced in singing
"Rock of Ages" to "Toplady;' and il
| the souls of the singer and listener are
spiritual, the very best spiritual effect
may be secured at the same time.
Certainly the hymns and chants fol
congregational singing should be sung
with simple music. with pleasing bu
never difficult harmonies. But thu
other class of church music, used pri
marily not in direct devotion, but ir
general worship. to influence the listen
ers, admits; and really demands more
| of the artistic.
When the scripture-lessons are read
or the sermon delivered, the arts of ell
ocution are in place. An artistic state
ment Of truth is often its real argu
ment, and who does not know the ar
in delivery is often the secret effect O
sermon? Why then should art b.
separated from worship IN music?
The true solution is not to exclude
art, but to make it servant rather thar
mistress. The criticisms sometimes in
dulged in by tho press would be mor'
weighty were they aimed at the rea
offender. Art is not the trouble in ou
| quartette mus c. but the lack OF th'
spirit Of a0orship in the choir. Th'
church is not an opera house. The OBJ
| ject or aim of the music in the churcl
is quite different. The spirit OF tn
concert or opera singers is out OF place
in the church-choir. Sacred music is no
I operatic. Unless this distinction is oh
served the best singers and players il
concert or opera will fail in the choi
and at the great organ. This singin.
and the playing may be faultless, so ia
as mere execution goes, and yet tn
religious effect may be lamentable
The artists must be worshipers. II not
the elimination of art from the musi
will not remove the difficulty or NEE
/ rJ.Y =.